Farewell, My Friend
by Levi Matthews
Summary: Anders gets a visit from and old friend, only to say goodbye. One-Shot. Anders x M!Mahariel friendship. Set during the events of Dragon Age 2.


Farewell, My Friend

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Dragon Age 2 or the Dragon Age Series. All credit for this story goes to the wonderful minds at Bioware.<strong>

**Song Credit: The majority of this one-shot was written while listening to Mt. Eden's remix of Saeglopur by Sigur Ros. God Bless Mt. Eden and Sigur Ros.**

**Pre-Story Info: Set during the events of Dragon Age 2. M!Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall, and has helped Anders with his final quest.**

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><p>Anders was tired.<p>

He had spent the whole night cursing over the thoughts that Vengeance poured into his mind. It had to be done, and damn the consequences. It didn't change the fact that he felt terrible about the whole situation. He had lied to Hawke. Anders had lied several times, even though Hawke had been more of a friend to him than anyone in years. It didn't feel right, lying to the only mage who had a chance of making things better. He knew that the Champion of Kirkwall was the only hope of freedom their kind had, but drastic measures needed to be taken in order to assure that events would fall into place. Anders shook his head sadly and tried to accept that it was necessary while the small part of his mind that was still his screamed at him to stop the madness now, before it was too late.

He hadn't slept that night, and in the morning he had been treated to a rash of pox victims. He had been healing people since early that morning, and even though was only mid-afternoon, he still felt exhausted. A dark figure in the corner of his eye made him sigh. "If you're here for treatment," he said in a tired voice, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to wait a moment. I need a moment's rest."

The figure chuckled quietly. "Good to see you too, Anders.

Anders turned with a start, his eyes wide. "Cayne?"

In all his glory, the Hero of Ferelden and Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Cayne Mahariel, stood quietly in Anders' clinic. His red eyes glowed warmly in the torchlight, and his long black hair was still tied into that ponytail that he had worn all those years ago. Cayne was encased in a set of ornate, black armor that was laced with threads of red lyrium. The Armor of the Sentinel, first used in the first Blight by the Grey Warden who had killed Dumat thousands of years ago. That had been the last time anyone had seen the armor, at least until the Hero of Ferelden had led a team of Wardens, consisting of Nathaniel Howe, Oghren and Anders into the Blackmarsh. It was there that the group had been summoned into the Fade by a mad darkspawn Disciple, and where the mighty elven warrior had defeated legions of demons to acquire the armor as he fought his way through the Fade to free himself and his companions. Anders remembered the look on Cayne's face when he had donned the armor for the first time. Determination and strength defined the Dalish elf.

It had been a defining experience for Anders, as young and as cocksure a mage as he had been back then. Now everything was different. Anders' humor was gone. His mind was no longer his own. Had he known what the Wardens would find in that damnable marsh, Anders would have gladly stayed in bed.

Or killed himself.

"I had to see it for myself," Cayne said quietly as he approached. Though they were encased in armored boots, Mahariel's feet made no sound on the rocky floor of Anders' clinic. "Anders, in the flesh, running a clinic for Ferelden refugees in the middle of a slum in Kirkwall. You've done well for yourself." Cayne's mockery was quiet, but lighthearted all the same. Anders could see the hilt of a sword jutting over the warrior's shoulder, and he recognized the hilt of Vigilance, the masterwork greatsword crafted by Wade all those years ago in Vigil's Keep.

Anders took a tentative step forward, disbelief clear on his face. "You're alive?" he breathed, "I had heard you disappeared. I thought you were-"

Cayne laughed darkly. "Dead? No, Anders, I am not dead. I cannot die." The Warden-Commander sighed and looked at his gauntlets. "Not now, at any rate."

Anders raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

Cayne shook his head. "It is not important, Anders. I have made my choices." He looked back up at the mage, a glint in his eye. "How is Justice?"

Anders' blood went cold. "How... how did you know?"

Cayne's body was suddenly engulfed in a bright light, making him almost impossible to see. Anders covered his eyes and staggered backwards, almost overwhelmed by the sheer power that radiated from his old friend. When the light suddenly faded, revealing a smiling Cayne, Anders' eyes went wide with shock. "You... you're like me."

Cayne nodded. "I am a spirit warrior now, or rather I should say we are. A spirit of Hope, raw, unmolested. We are the same now, Hope and I. We strive for the future. We want to give the world what we have. We are one." Cayne shook his head sadly. "I can feel Justice in you, Anders. He is... wrong. He is changed."

Anders looked away. "I... I know."

"I am sorry, Anders."

Anders turned to Cayne, a desperate look in his eyes. "Can you help me?" he asked, nearly pleading. "Can you release us?"

Cayne sighed. "I cannot, though I truly wish I could help you. The acceptance of a spirit is much like the Joining; once it is done, there is no going back."

Anders' eyes narrowed. "So you're here to take me back? Back to the damn Wardens? I thought you were my friend, Cayne."

Cayne shook his head. "I have no intention of taking you anywhere, Anders. We all have our parts to play. I merely wanted to catch up with an old friend."

Anders walked over to a nearby bench, angry at himself for accusing his friend of such treachery. He sat down hard and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I'm sorry, Cayne. It's good to see you, it really is. I had no idea if you were even still alive. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

Cayne nodded and sat down next to Anders, compassion clear on his face. "I understand, Anders. It is not easy."

Anders looked up at Cayne, confusion in his eyes. "Why did you do it?" he asked quietly. "Why'd you take a spirit into yourself? You knew what would happen, right?"

Cayne was silent for a moment, his eyes distant. "I did. I did much research before I realized what I had to do." His eyes dropped to his hands and his fists clenched. "Change is coming, Anders. There is no stopping it. We all have our parts to play, whether we like them or not. We cannot deny destiny." He looked back over at Anders, his face grim. "I did what must be done for the sake of the world, my friend. As you will."

Anders went cold. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

Cayne smiled grimly. "You know exactly what I mean, Anders. You are the Catalyst. You will set events in motion." He looked off into the distance, as if he could see something Anders could not. "I am sorry that I bring you such weighty tidings. It has been like this with most of my old friends. I wish things could have been different."

Anders struggled for words as questions raced through is head. "You've visited the others?"

Cayne smiled. "Most of them. From the Keep and beyond. I do not imagine that you have kept in contact."

Anders shook his head. "No, and I'd prefer if you didn't tell them about me."

Cayne nodded. "I understand, old friend. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me." He smiled and looked into the distance again, bringing his old friends to the front of his mind. "Ogrhen is doing well. He has two daughters and a son now; poor Felsi can barely find a moment's rest. The First Warden put our drunkard friend in charge of a series of Deep-Road expeditions across Ferelden. He is happy for the first time in a long time." Cayne turned to Anders. "Nathaniel and Velanna have wed."

Anders' eyebrows shot up and a snort of unbelieving laughter burst from his lips. "What?"

Cayne grinned. "I know, I said the same. They make for an odd couple, though I suppose I cannot judge. I was once in the same shoes Nathaniel wears now. Love is never easy, but that seems to make it all the worth while." He sighed. "They seem to be happy, at any rate. Nathaniel is in charge of the Keep now; he is a fine leader, and the others respect him immensely."

Anders nodded, the smile still on his face. "And Sigrun?"

Cayne sighed sadly. "Dead. The darkspawn took her just after you left. She died fighting, just as she wanted. She took out nearly a score of them before the blood loss killed her. Three of them were Ogres."

Anders' eyes closed. He had always liked the spunky dwarf, even if Sigrun's ideas had been a little unnerving. It was hard to imagine her dead. "I'm sorry," he told Cayne, trying to keep the tears from his eyes.

Cayne placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is not your fault, Anders. Blame the Spawn."

Anders nodded before turning back to Cayne. "Did you find her, Cayne? Did you find that woman you were looking for?"

Cayne stood suddenly, his face betraying no emotion. He walked over to a nearby torch and gazed into the fire, as if trying to discern some great mystery from it. "I did." His jaw tightened.

Anders stood up, unnerved by his friend's sudden coldness. "And?"

"And I cannot speak of it any more than I already have."

Anders snorted, an old semblance of his former ego rising to combat Cayne's attitude. "Well then, so much for confiding in a friend." Cayne turned back to Anders and the mage instantly regretted his words. The look on Cayne's face was pitiable, something Anders never expected to see on the face of the Warden-Commander.

Cayne was quiet for a long time before speaking. "Some questions are better left unanswered, Anders." He said quietly. "I apologize. Sufficed to say that I found more than I was seeking."

Anders' earlier anger faded and was replaced by the need to comfort his old friend. "Are you alright?"

Cayne shook his head. "No Anders, I am not alright. Nothing in Thedas can stop what is to come, and I shudder to think of it."

Anders reached out and placed a hand on Cayne's arm. "I can help you, Cayne. I can help you with whatever it is you're dealing with. All you have to do is let me."

Cayne slowly brushed Anders' hand away. "You are helping, Anders, but you and your new friends are going down a path I cannot follow. Your destiny lies with the Champion, as mine lies with Morrigan."

"Morrigan?"

Cayne smiled sadly. "I cannot stay, Anders. I have an appointment to keep." He stepped forwards and caught the taller man in a warm hug, something he had never done before. "I will miss you, my friend."

Anders, wide eyed with shock, was momentarily overwhelmed by the situation. After a moment he patted Cayne's back in an awkwardly comforting gesture. "I'll, um... I'll miss you too?"

Cayne broke the embrace and smiled. "You will scarcely remember that I was here, Anders. You are the Catalyst. You cannot spend you energy missing me. You still have a part to play." He turned and walked for the door, leaving a stunned Anders in his wake.

Anders took a step forward. "Wait!"

Cayne stopped in the doorway. "I will answer one question, Anders, but no more than that." His voice was almost a whisper.

"Will I... will I survive what is to come?"

Cayne Mahariel turned and looked at his friend one last time. A single tear drifted down his face. "I am sorry, Anders."

Anders slumped against a nearby pillar, all the blood draining from his face. "I guess you were right," he whispered, his face downcast. "I guess some things are better off not knowing." He looked over to the doorway but saw nothing. Cayne had vanished.

Anders reached into his pocket and gently rubbed the small cat-collar he kept there. The small bell attached to it jingled softly as his fingertips brushed against it. "I know what I have to do, Cayne." he said to no-one.

"Farewell, my friend."

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><p><strong>LM here,<strong>

**Hey, glad you could make it. My first one-shot, and not a bad piece of work if I do say so myself. I always liked Anders, at least up until the point that he blew up the damn Chantry, and I felt like my Warden needed to give him a proper goodbye. God knows he just wandered off with Morrigan and left a shitload of plot-holes in his wake. Anyway, I may do another starring Cayne and Merrill (cuz she's adorable and you know it) but I do have to keep my other stories going. This may lead to a Dragon Age 2 fic, but I haven't decided yet. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this little tribute, and thanks for reading.**

**R&R!**

**Levi Matthews**


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